What is integrative and transversal medicine?
Integrative and cross-disciplinary medicine in Barcelona is a model that combines conventional medicine with complementary therapies that have scientific evidence, depending on each case. Its aim is not only to relieve symptoms, but to care for the person as a whole, considering the physical, emotional and environmental factors that influence their health.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the disease, integrative medicine emphasises prevention and long-term well-being. With a multidisciplinary approach that uses medical treatments and complementary therapies, it seeks more personalised care. Complementary therapies are used as support to medical treatment and never as a substitute.
Quick answer
Integrative medicine coordinates conventional medicine with complementary therapies in a planned, person-centred way. It differs from complementary medicine (used alongside conventional medicine) and from alternative medicine (used instead of it). Complementary therapies are prioritised according to their level of evidence, which varies by therapy and condition, and never replace medical treatment.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Complementary | Therapy used alongside conventional medicine. |
| Alternative | Therapy used instead of conventional medicine. |
| Integrative | Approach that coordinates both, with the patient at the centre and prioritising the available evidence. |
The 5Ps in medicine or the evolution of healthcare
Within integrative medicine, we find 5P Medicine, which is based on five fundamental principles from which people are treated.
The combination of integrative medicine with 5P medicine allows for a more precise and personalised approach to healthcare, with a cross-disciplinary format. The result is a healthier and more active life for longer. This type of medicine is based on 5 key approaches:
The “5P medicine” (personalised, predictive, preventive, participatory and precise) derives from the so-called P4 medicine proposed by Leroy Hood; the number and names of the “Ps” vary between authors. It is a conceptual framework, not a clinical standard.
- Personalised: Each treatment is designed according to the patient's genetic and epigenetic characteristics and lifestyle habits. In this way, each approach is unique and exclusive to each individual.
- Predictive: Advanced tools such as artificial intelligence, biochemical and genetic analysis, and other complementary tests are used to anticipate indirect signs that may alert us to the present or future onset of various diseases. Obtaining this information is crucial and allows us to act sooner and achieve better results.
- Preventive: We like to focus on preventing the onset of disease by introducing changes in diet, sleep, exercise and stress management, among other fundamental pillars. The consolidation of healthy lifestyle habits makes it possible to prevent or delay the onset of incipient metabolic disorders or established diseases, improving the patient's quality of life in the present and in the future.
- Participatory: The patient plays an active role in decision-making, in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team of professionals. It is the individual who must empower themselves and take responsibility for their health, using the tools provided by our team, who will accompany them throughout the transformation process. Informed and responsible.
- Precise: We use both advanced medical treatments and complementary therapies, ensuring more accurate and personalised care for each patient.
What is it used for and in which areas is it applied?
Integrative medicine in Barcelona is applied to a wide variety of health conditions, either to support the maintenance of optimal health or to accompany, alongside conventional treatment, people with subacute, chronic or recurrent conditions. The areas in which it is applied include:
- Approach to acute or chronic pain: Individualised assessment and treatment of joint, lower back or neck pain or migraine, as a complement to conventional treatment…
- Habits for a healthy immune system: Good nutrition, regular exercise and rest contribute to the proper functioning of the immune system; supplementation only makes sense if there is a deficiency…
- Reducing stress and anxiety: Therapies to improve mental health and emotional balance.
- Metabolic optimisation: Assessment and approach to digestion, energy, breathing, hormonal health or sleep quality.
- Support in chronic diseases: Lifestyle strategies and support, always as a complement to the treatment indicated by your specialist; they do not replace medical treatment.
- Longevity Medicine: Personalised assessment of habits and health markers to maintain quality of life in the long term. No results on ageing are promised: no intervention has been shown to slow it in people.
What are the principles of Integrative Medicine?
- Patient-centred approach: Each person is unique, so treatments are tailored to their specific needs, taking into account their lifestyle, medical history, emotional state, and the likelihood of treatment being a success.
- Use of evidence-based therapies: Integrative medicine in Barcelona incorporates complementary therapies; those with published evidence are prioritised and their level of evidence is disclosed, which varies by therapy and condition.
- Prevention and promotion of wellbeing: It is not just about curing illnesses, but about strengthening overall health and preventing future problems through changes in diet, exercise, sleep, breathing and stress management.
- Multidisciplinary collaboration: Doctors from different specialities—neurosurgery, neurophysiology and neuroscience, rheumatology, gynaecology, regenerative medicine, aesthetic medicine, etc.—nutritionists, psychologists and other specialists work together to address the patient's health from different angles to achieve a comprehensive, 360-degree treatment.
What the Ministry of Health says about complementary therapies
In Spain, the Plan for the protection of health against pseudotherapies (Ministries of Health and Science, 2018) reviewed 139 techniques. In 2019 it was reported that 73 were classified directly as pseudotherapies for lacking clinical trials or reviews to support them, and 66 (including acupuncture) moved on to a specific evaluation by the Spanish Network of Health Technology Assessment Agencies (RedETS). That is why it is important to always ask about the level of evidence for each therapy and to check that it is offered by a healthcare professional.
What treatments are used in Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine uses a combination of conventional and complementary therapies, including:
- Neurolongevity: Assessment and programmes of cognitive stimulation and habits to look after brain health. The evidence for brain-training programmes is variable.
- Applied Longevity: : Therapies tailored to each person's needs to improve their current wellbeing, preventing deterioration of the body in the medium and long term.
- Hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy: Breathing air at low and high oxygen concentrations through a mask, under study for its possible effect on performance and cardiometabolic health. The evidence is preliminary (see our article on IHHT).
- Regenerative Medicine: Advanced therapies such as plasma rich in growth factors or plasmapheresis; the latter has recognised medical indications and experimental use in longevity.
- Applied Neuroscience: Methods such as neuromodulation for the treatment of chronic pain and specific neurological disorders. Neurofeedback and Brain Performance techniques.
- Neurosurgery: Minimally invasive surgical techniques to combat acute or chronic and recurrent pain that affects patients' quality of life.
- Integrative Nutritional Approach: Personalisation of diet with healthy lifestyle habits to improve metabolism, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.
- Psychotherapy emotional support and mindfulness: Techniques for emotional management, stress reduction and improved mental wellbeing. But also psychological help to improve the patient's response to pain and promote a healthy lifestyle.
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy: Treatments to relieve muscle and joint pain, improving mobility and posture.
- Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine: Complementary therapy with uneven evidence depending on the condition (see our article on acupuncture).
Integrative Medicine and health
One of the greatest benefits of integrative medicine is its ability to improve patients’ quality of life. By taking a holistic approach to health, it not only treats the disease, but also enhances the individual’s overall well-being in the long term.
At Monarka Clinic, we have a multidisciplinary team that applies integrative medicine in Barcelona, combining the latest medical technology with innovative therapies. Therefore, our main goal is to help you regain physical and emotional balance.
Frequently asked questions about integrative medicine
What is integrative medicine?
An approach that coordinates conventional medicine with complementary therapies, with the patient at the centre and prioritising the available evidence.
What is the difference between integrative and alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine replaces conventional medicine; integrative medicine complements it and is coordinated with it.
Is integrative medicine a pseudotherapy?
Not as a concept: it is a care model. Each specific therapy must be judged on its evidence; the Spanish Ministry of Health has evaluated some of them and classified others as pseudotherapies.
Does it replace my medical treatment?
Never. Complementary therapies are used as support and must not replace or delay the treatment your doctor has prescribed.
Sources and references
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): definitions of complementary, alternative and integrative therapies. nccih.nih.gov
- Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science. Plan for the protection of health against pseudotherapies, 2018. sanidad.gob.es
- Evaluation reports on complementary therapies (RedETS). conprueba.es
Informational content updated on October 7, 2026. It does not replace an individual medical assessment.
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